Angels and Labradors
by Lady Dudley
Summary: Sequel of sorts to "The Tears In Her Eyes"
1. Only Angels When They're Sleeping

**A/N: Well, FreekyDisaster18 asked for a sequel to "The Tears In Her Eyes" so here it is...sort of. Hopefully the title will make sense as you read it. Hope you enjoy it!! :)**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. **

**_Angels and Labradors_**

Robbie sat down at the kitchen table and took a long sip of his coffee. He considered himself to be a fairly active man but three Jardine children and a dog had really taken it out of him. At least they were now all asleep, including the dog who was now sprawled across the kitchen floor.

_Whirr..._snap. _Whirr..._snap. _Whirr..._snap. _Whirr..._snap.

Robbie shot an irritated glare in the direction of his companion; Stuart didn't notice and kept spinning the coin on the table.

_Whirr..._snap. _Whirr..._snap.

Robbie's knuckles turned white as he gripped the handle of his coffee mug, absently he began to wonder whether he could claim self defence if he killed Stuart.

"Do you think it will be a girl or a boy?" Stuart asked, finally stopping his coin spinning and looking at Robbie.

Robbie gave a shrugged a shoulder as he took a sip from his mug, "Who knows? Michael said he'd call when it was over."

Stuart nodded and went back to his coin spinning. He was just about to spin the coin again when Robbie grabbed his hand, "Could you please stop that?" he asked. Stuart looked up, the words had been polite but Robbie's tone and look confirmed the threat behind them.

Stuart pocketed the coin.

"I tell you what, they'll have their hands full either way," Robbie continued, as though there had been no interruption, "those kids..." he shook his head.

Stuart nodded in agreement, "I know," he glanced over at the Labrador snoring on the floor, "and now they have a dog as well."

Robbie nodded, "They have certainly come a long way," he agreed, trying not to snigger at the memory of the birth of Jackie and Michael's first child, Jimmy.

Michael had been so nervous he had almost left without taking his car keys and the memory of him trying to fill out all the details on the hospital forms still made Robbie laugh.

Robbie absently rubbed his eyes; at least now all four of them were old hats at this: Michael would call, Robbie and Stuart would come around to watch the other children and then Michael would take Jackie to the hospital. In fact this time all Michael had to say was "It's time," and Robbie and Stuart were on their way.

"Uncle Robbie?" Robbie looked up at the small voice to find Nerys, her teddy tucked under an arm, standing in the doorway. "Had Daddy rung yet?" Robbie shook his head.

"No, love, he hasn't," he said, beckoning her into the room.

"Will Mummy be all right?" she asked, coming up beside him.

"Your Mummy will be fine," Robbie promised her as he lifted her onto his knee, "your Mummy is the bravest, strongest woman I have ever met," Robbie told her, "besides, she has done this before," he added, tapping her on the nose.

Nerys giggled, "Do you think it will be a boy or a girl?" she asked, resting her head on his shoulder.

"I don't know," Robbie told her, "but do you know that your Uncle Stuart here just asked me the same question."

Nerys lifted her head to look over at Stuart, "What do you think the baby will be Uncle Stuart?" she asked.

"I don't know, what would you like it to be?" Stuart asked.

Nerys thought for a moment, "I think I would like another sister," she said decisively.

"Not another brother?" Robbie asked.

Nerys scrunched up her face, "No! Jimmy's enough," she said firmly, "but I guess Katie's ok," she conceded, "so another sister would be good."

"I guess we'll just have to wait and see," Robbie said as Nerys settled her head on his shoulder again.

"Why are Mummy and Daddy having another baby?" Nerys asked after a moment, Robbie and Stuart exchanged glances. "Don't they love us enough?" she continued, Robbie and Stuart both breathed a sigh of relief.

"Of course they love you, cupcake," Robbie assured her.

"They just love you so much they want another baby," Stuart explained.

Nerys nodded, before her expression turned thoughtful once more. She looked up at Robbie, "Uncle Robbie, you won't call the new baby 'cupcake' will you?"

Robbie looked down at her, "Did I call Katie 'cupcake'?" he asked.

Nerys shook her head, "No, you call her pumpkin."

Robbie nodded, "Exactly and I call Jimmy 'tiger,' so the new baby will have a new name all to itself," he assured her.

She nodded again, satisfied.

"Now, cupcake," he said, adding extra stress to her pet name, "I think it's time you went back to bed."

"But I'm not sleepy," Nerys insisted through a yawn. Robbie raised an eyebrow and Nerys reluctantly started to get off his lap. She let out a squeal of delight as he picked her up, tossing her in the air slightly as he did so.

"I never said anything about you going upstairs on your own," he teased.

After settling Nerys, Robbie poked his head around the door of the other bedrooms. Katrina was fast asleep on her bed, her thumb hanging slightly out of her mouth and Jimmy was sprawled across his bed in a tangle of blankets.

_Only angels when they're sleeping_, he thought with an amused smile as he made his way back downstairs. Perhaps Michael and Jackie weren't so nuts having four kids (and a dog) after all.

----

**A/N: I've been wanting to do a 'Robbie and Stuart babysit' story for a while now, I thought this might work :) And I reckon Robbie would probably the favourite of the two 'uncles' (not that we don't love Stuart!)**


	2. The Phone Call

**A/N: So I was going to be mean and leave it there, but I didn't fancy the death threats :P So here's the phone call from the hospital :)**

Robbie started at the sound of his mobile phone ringing. Shaking his head sleepily it took his a few moments to work out where he was. Massaging the kink in his neck he had gotten from sleeping on the couch he answered his phone.

"Ross."

"Robbie, it's Michael."

Robbie forgot all about his neck and how tired he was and sat up straighter, nudging a sleeping Stuart as he did so.

"Well?" he asked, watching Stuart groggily sit up in the chair and turn down the volume on the TV.

"It's a girl: Ebony Isobel Jardine," Michael told him proudly, "mother and daughter are both asleep at the moment," Michael continued, "so I'll wait until Jackie's awake before I come back. Is that all right?"

Robbie nodded, "That's fine, stay as long as you need," he assured him.

"You sound tired, everything all right over there?" Michael asked a hint of amusement in his voice.

Robbie absently rubbed one of his eyes with his free hand; "Everything's fine, the kids are all in bed, the dog is asleep..." he trailed off as he looked at the coffee table. "I don't believe it, the dirty rat!" he exclaimed.

"Robbie?" Michael asked, concern colouring his tone.

"Your blasted dog has eaten our popcorn!" Robbie exclaimed. "It's not funny," he continued at Michael's burst of laughter, "stupid dog!" he grumbled as he stood up, looking around for the offending canine.

"That sounds like Nelson," Michael said, still fighting back his laughter, "for a moment there I thought something was wrong with the kids."

"Oh the kids are fine," Robbie assured him, wandering into the kitchen, still in search of Nelson. "It's your dog you should be worried about; I'm going to kill him when I find him."

"Nerys and Katie would never forgive you," came the amused reply.

Robbie stopped short, "That was a low blow, bringing them into it," he sighed, "all right, the dog is safe," he promised, glowering as Nelson chose that moment to make an appearance. "It's a good thing he's cute," Robbie muttered, still glowering at the dog who was now staring up at him with big brown eyes.

"Some days that's the only thing that keeps him alive," Michael agreed dryly, "I'll give you a call when I'm ready to come back."

"We'll wait to hear from you then," Robbie said before they both hung up. Putting his phone back into his pocket Robbie continued to glower at Nelson, "It isn't going to work, dog, at this moment you're not very popular." Nelson bumped his hand with his nose, "No," Robbie replied, sounding a little less convinced.

Nelson looked pitifully up at him and Robbie sighed as he caved and patted him on the head, "This doesn't mean I forgive you," he told him as he bent down to use both hands.

He looked up from patting Nelson as Stuart came into the kitchen, "Well?" Stuart demanded, "You just walked off, is it a boy or a girl?"

Robbie gave Nelson one last pat as he straightened, "A girl, Ebony Isobel Jardine, both mother and baby are asleep apparently," he added as Stuart digested this information, "Michael said he'd call again when Jackie was awake to say what the plan is."

Stuart nodded, "Well, Nerys will be happy then, she's got another sister," he commented, Robbie nodded. "What nickname will you use this time?" he asked.

Robbie thought for a moment, "Now that's a tough one," he said as he took a seat at the kitchen table, Stuart slid into a seat across from him. "Hmm...muffin?" Robbie suggested, thinking out loud.

"A little too close to 'cupcake' don't you think?" Stuart replied.

Robbie nodded, putting his hands behind his head as he leaned back, "True," he agreed. "What about..." Robbie's musings were cut short by the appearance of Jimmy and Nerys in the doorway to the kitchen.

"Did Daddy ring?" Nerys asked, eyes shining.

"Yes he did," Robbie told her, straightening.

"And?" she demanded.

"You have a new baby sister, Ebony Isobel Jardine," Robbie told her with a smile.

Nerys gave a delighted squeal and clapped her hands together; Jimmy looked less thrilled by the news, but still managed a smile. "When will Daddy be coming home?" Jimmy asked.

"He said he'd call once your mother wakes up, he doesn't want to leave while she's still sleeping," Robbie told him.

Jimmy nodded sagely, he'd been here twice before, "Will we be able to pick up a toy for the baby?" he asked.

Robbie nodded.

Both children looked pleased with this and were soon involved in a heated debate over what kind of toy they would get for the baby.

Robbie looked over at Stuart, "I hope Michael calls soon," he said wryly as Nelson started to dance around the two arguing children, a ball in his mouth.

----

**A/N: Ta-da! Another baby girl, I think this might complete their family now. Though if you have any suggestions for a petname Robbie can use for Ebony I would be most grateful as I will probably keep writing family fics**


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